Birthdays are Celebrated in Heaven

Today 22nd August 2020 would have been my Father in Law Mr. Bernard Omoigui Orumwense Ugowe’s 80th Birthday and to mark this I am dedicating this blog to his amazing life.

Where can I start from to describe this absolutely wonderful gentleman that is my father in law? I had the pleasure of knowing him for only 10 years (which was too short) but his gracious life impacted me positively within this very short period.

The moment my husband introduced me to him as the person he wanted to spend his life with, my father in law accepted me immediately like his own daughter. He treated me with so much care and never one day made me feel like a foreigner within his household.

My father in law loved God and this was evident within the way he lived and practice his Catholic Christian life. He loved his wife, children, grandchildren and family with all his heart and put God in the center of all he did. He had a welcoming heart and smile that draws people to him, you cannot help but fall in love with his charm and it helped that he could communicate fluently in Bini, Hausa, Yoruba and Ibo languages.

There are so many wonderful memories I can share with you about my father-in-law that a single blog cannot truly give him justice, but this one special memory stands out the most out of the lot and this was the first time he met my daughter. My daughter was about five months and we just arrived in Lagos, Nigeria and went straight to my in laws residence.

My father in law opened the door at our arrival and he immediately took his first grand daughter from my hands, carried her into the house and started showing her around the house. I was totally amazed because this was their first meeting but my daughter was happy to be in her grandfather arms like if this was common place. She did not look back to look for me or cry out for me to take her back into my arms instead she looked at her granddad as he spoke to her and gave her a tour of the house her dad grew up in.

That memory spoke volumes of my father in law spirit. He was pure and gentle that even a child could feel it at their first meeting, of course the bond should be there since blood is thicker than water, but I got a peek of so much more than that, this was a man who loves and loves deep from his heart that even a baby could sense it.

Since you departed this earth three years ago, we your loved ones feel your absence always, but we are still thankful to God for the opportunity to share so many happy memories together. Therefore on behalf of my husband, sisters & brother in laws @Ewemade, @Iria & @Nosa, their spouses, your grandchildren, family friends and my totally amazing mother in law & your loving wife Mrs Elizabeth Ugowe celebrate with the angels and saints in heaven what would have been your 80th Birthday today.

Happy 80th birthday Daddy Ugowe, we all love you and miss you today and always. Thank you for walking through this special memory with me.